And if a person can be all of 6-foot-7 and 326 pounds, if he started more games than any other player in Colorado’s long football history, and still be a work in progress with room to grow, it’s Ryan Miller.

“I know this,” said CU offensive line coach Steve Marshall, whose coaching résumé includes stops with the NFL’s Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns. “I wish I had him another year, that’s for sure. I think he really has a good, good chance of really having the opportunity for a lot of great things in the NFL. Ryan’s got all the right stuff, physically, mentally, everything.”

Five years ago, Miller was one of the nation’s most heralded prep players, wrapping up his time at Columbine High School as everybody’s All-American. He stayed home, went to CU, having committed to the Buffs midway through his senior season.

Now, 48 collegiate starts and 3,320 plays later as a rare five-year letterman, Miller will be the only CU player at the NFL’s scouting combine, which opens today in Indianapolis. Miller played guard and tackle during his time at CU, but most NFL teams see him as a right tackle prospect who could move to guard if needed.

With the Buffs, he played tackle early in his career. But when he fractured a leg four games into the 2008 season, missing the remainder of that year, he moved to guard for the most part after his return. Several scouts have said although they believe Miller is a better fit in the NFL as a strongside tackle, they also have lauded his play against some of the power players he faced on the inside in his career, including current Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

“It’s all a little surreal at this point,” said Miller, who received his degree in anthropology in December. “I maybe didn’t consider it for a long time, but to now be in this position, I kind of get up every day excited about the prospects and excited to be in this position.

“I am probably a right tackle. At least that’s my impression. Maybe I have the body type for right guard as well, but I might be a little tall for that. I even took some snaps at center at the Shrine Game (in January) for the versatility. It was a worst-case-scenario type thing, and after watching me do it, it was really a worst-case scenario, for sure.”

Since the end of his senior season with the Buffs, Miller has been training in Irvine, Calif., for the combine. His on-campus pro day is March 8. His greatest challenge on the field may simply be dealing with what people see first when they meet him.

Pro football is a big man’s game, but there are challenges for big men who are as tall as Miller.

“He’s still got a lot of work to do in terms of anchoring, bending his knees to compete the way he needs to in the NFL,” Marshall said. “Learning to bend his knees, to use his leverage to his advantage, will be key. Every NFL defense has a guy who’s 6-foot-2, 340 pounds, who can move his feet. You’ve really got to anchor. You’ve got to play with leverage.”

Miller said he has a quality resource in that regard in Nate Solder, a former CU teammate. Solder, who measured 6-8 at the combine last year, made the transition smoothly to the NFL as one of the tallest players in the draft.

The Patriots selected Solder with the 17th pick of the first round, and he played tackle and lined up as an extra tight end throughout his rookie season.

“I’ve talked to a lot of players, Nate, (wide receiver) Scotty (McKnight), about what’s to come,” Miller said. “Nate’s really been great throughout, a great resource about the process, about what to expect, what they’re looking for, the whole picture. And the message has really been the same: Just enjoy the ride.

“That’s what everybody has said, just enjoy the ride, because not too many people have the opportunity to go through it, so I think that’s the view to take. You’re just fortunate to be going through it.”

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